The present invention relates to a temperature monitoring method and apparatus which, in order to monitor the internal temperature of a subject during a period of a brain hypothermia primarily applied to a brain disease and cerebropathia, acquire a temperature variation in the inside of the subject by utilizing a magnetic resonance phenomenon and display it and to a magnetic resonance apparatus.
The results of treatment on the brain disorders, such as the brain trauma, brain blood vessel disorder and hypoxia cerebropathia at a time of the stoppage of a cardiopulmonary function are governed by conditions of the brain edema and intracranial pressure exacerbation involved due to the ischemia. For this reason, it is very important to measure the intracranial pressure level and internal jugular sinus venous blood oxygen saturation level and, by doing so, control the subject.
In recent times it has been clarified that, due to an intrabrain heat retention resulting from re-perfusion following the brain disorder a secondary phase of disease appears in advance of the brain edema. It has been, therefore, indicated that it is important to continue treatment while controlling the temperature of the brain.
Attention has recently been paid to the brain hypothermia which, in order to protect to a brain from a brain injury region and resuscitate the brain, lowers the temperature of the brain to 32.degree. to 34.degree. C. and maintains this state for an about 2-days to one-week period (an about two-days to two-weeks period though depending upon the case)--Intensive & critical care medicine Vol. 9, No. 6, 613-689 (1997) issued by Sohgo Igaku Co., Ltd.
It has been difficult to exactly measure the temperature of the brain in real time during the brain hypothermia period. It has been conventional practice to measure the blood temperature primarily responsible for the brain temperature formation, with the use of a catheter sensor set in the internal jugular vein and use it in place of the brain temperature.
It has been reported that, for a normal subject, such internal jugular vein temperature is approximately equal to the brain temperature (Hayashi, Intensive & critical care medicine vol. 7, No. 3, 267-274 (1997)). It has also been reported that a temperature profile is produced in the brain in the case of a patient with the brain disorder. And a non-invasive and high accurate temperature measuring method has thus been desired.